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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26507587">It Ends With Us</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/203_508/pseuds/203_508'>203_508</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Class Project [11]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Final Battle, Loss, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 02:35:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,321</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26507587</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/203_508/pseuds/203_508</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Weeks after the final battle occurred Hermione finds herself conflicted on where her heart lies. Which boy will she choose and how will the other react?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Class Project [11]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1926754</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>It Ends With Us</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was the worst day of her life.</p>
<p>Hermione stands in front of the archways of what's left of Hogwarts, everything around her is now a pile of ash, she couldn't even see what's in front of her because there was too much smoke. Hermione in a haze, looks down at her ripped shirt only to see it covered in blood. </p>
<p>She's trying to wrap her head around all the casualties she just witnessed, but before she can even  react, an ominous figure emerges from the smoke. Voldemort is standing right in front of her. </p>
<p>Her head begins to spin and blood starts rushing as the person she fears most in this world turns toward her. Panicked thoughts fill her head, He killed my friends and now he is going to kill me.</p>
<p>She becomes paralyzed as the fear takes hold over her whole body. He raises his wand to cast a spell, and terrified, Hermione opens her mouth to scream but suddenly her body jolts and her eyes open. </p>
<p>Frantically she scans the room, not lucid enough to know what is happening. Her heartbeat begins to slow down as the realization kicks in.</p>
<p> It had only been a dream.</p>
<p> She had been having these nightmares ever since the battle but she wasn't the only one. </p>
<p>Harry runs through the door panting, “Hermione are you alright? I heard a scream.” He sounds frantic. Hermione sighs “Oh Harry- sorry I didn't mean to wake you, just had a nightmare that's all.”</p>
<p>It had only been a few weeks since the war ended and everyone was struggling to cope with the devastating loss of that day. </p>
<p>Hogwarts- the only home they had ever known was now only associated with the painful memories of that day. Voldemort had not only taken the lives of their friends. He took so much more- he took the moments they used to cherish, the place they used to love.</p>
<p>Harry hopped on the edge of Hermione's bed and assured her, “you're not the only one.” </p>
<p>Neither one said anything for a while and soon Harry closed his eyes and fell back asleep beside her. Hermione looked over at him and had the urge to rest her head next to his.</p>
<p>She felt safe. </p>
<p>Something she hadn't felt in a long time. </p>
<p>ii.</p>
<p>The next morning they set out on the train to meet up with Ron. Harry had been worried about him. Ron pretends he’s okay after Fred but Harry knows he's just putting on a brave face. </p>
<p>As Harry stared at the window all he could think about was that day. Voldemort was dead. I should feel better than this, he thought. They had destroyed the horcruxes. He died right there in front of his eyes but somehow Harry still didn't feel safe. He didn't know if he would ever feel okay again. Voldemort still had power over him, even in death.</p>
<p>When they arrived at the Weasley’s house, Harry could immediately sense the change in morale and demeanor; everything was different. </p>
<p>The smell of freshly baked cookies did not overflow from the kitchen, there wasn't a table full of people awaiting his arrival, there was no joy, no laughter- just silence.</p>
<p>His eyes met with Mrs. Weasley’s and his body froze. She looked as though all the life had been sucked out of her. Her eyes were downcast and it appeared as though she had just been crying. As she stood looking across at Harry she didn't fake a smile, rather she stood there solemnly  looking as though the grief and sorrow had completely consumed her. Like she had nothing left to give this world.  The pain seemed unbearable for Harry to even think about, the pain of losing a child too soon. </p>
<p>Harry shuddered and tried for a moment to forget. He convinced himself that he would see Fred running down the stairs laughing with George by his side, but that idealistic dream lasted but a moment before the weight of the world seemed to crush him in an instant. Fred was gone and he blamed himself. </p>
<p>Lupin. Tonks. Mad Eye. Sirius. Dobbie. Colin Creevey. Fred. The names of his friends flooded his mind. They died trying to help, he thought. They died because of me. </p>
<p>As Mrs.Weasley hugged Hermione tightly, Harry snuck into an empty room to process everything he was feeling. It was too much for him. Frustrated, angry, confused. Coming to this house somehow brought everything back.</p>
<p>He stood there for a moment and the tears he was trying so desperately to keep in started to flow. </p>
<p>“Knock knock,” Hermione whispered as she entered the room, her presence alone bringing Harry more peace than he thought possible at such a moment. </p>
<p>He quickly wiped the tears away as he turned in her direction but she saw right through him. She knew exactly what he was doing…. torturing himself with blame </p>
<p>“Oh Harry,” she wrapped her arms around him. “Please don't blame yourself.”</p>
<p>It hurt her to see Harry like this and it hurt that she felt like she couldn't do anything about it.<br/>They stood there for a while holding their arms around each other tightly, as if they were the only things keeping each other from falling apart. Hermione could still feel Harry shaking. </p>
<p>As she comforted him, Harry had the realization that he couldn't get through this time without her. He couldn't get through any time without her. She had been there for him when no else had, she had always been the person he ran to when anything important happened. </p>
<p>Harry was being selfish just thinking like this, he knew that Ron had loved Hermione ever since he could remember. That was no secret. </p>
<p>How could I do that, he thought. But then he remembered their time in the woods.</p>
<p>He remembered their fingers intertwined as they spun around the tent, he remembered her laugh as she stepped all over his toes trying to keep the beat, he remembered the silence as they laid their heads down before bed. A silence that was not consumed by the fear of Voldemort and the world falling apart but one that was okay with facing those odds as long as they had each other. </p>
<p>No, no I can't think like this, his mind interjected. The kiss between Ginny and I had just happened. But did it mean anything? </p>
<p>Ron was his best friend but Hermione was too and the thought of losing her to their relationship ate away at him every time he thought about it. Maybe that's why he convinced himself that he loved Ginny, so if Hermione and Ron ended up together he would have a way to still be connected to her. </p>
<p>His mind was consumed with guilt. He was torn between his friendship to Ron and his love for Hermione. </p>
<p>He pulled away from the hug and glanced up at her green eyes. He had always loved her eyes, he thought. </p>
<p>“Hermione,” he whispered. She was beautiful. His heart began to beat fast as he slowly pushed her hair out of her eyes. </p>
<p>“Oh Harry” she sighed, “please don’t do this.” She knew exactly what he was feeling because she had been feeling it too. </p>
<p>He felt his hand wrapping around the back of her head and he couldn't fight it anymore. He slowly leaned and began to kiss her. Hermione paused, conflicted, before her feelings for Harry overwhelmed her and she began to kiss him passionately back.</p>
<p> It was unlike anything either of them have ever felt before. But before long, they were.. </p>
<p>“WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON IN HERE!” Ron screamed in outrage but his eyes were filled with tears. He couldn't believe what he saw. “YOU TWO, KISSING IN MY OWN HOME!”</p>
<p>“Ron I.. I.. don't know what, I’m sorr-” Hermione's voice cracked as the words came out but before she could even explain, Ron ran across the room and threw his fist as hard as he could into Harry's chin knocking him backwards to the ground. In a split second, Harry recovered and pulled Ron's legs out from under him causing him to land on top of him. They began to wrestle, one on top of the other trying to regain power when suddenly Ron began to shove his fist into Harry's face while putting him in a headlock so he couldn't move . </p>
<p>“Stop it, stop it, both of you stop it!” Hermione shrieked and she pleaded with them to get off one another. She hated that she was driving them apart, but knowing how Harry felt about her made her conflicted on where her heart lied. </p>
<p>Ron got up from the ground and immediately walked out the door. He didn't look up to make eye contact, he just stormed off far away from her. </p>
<p>iii.</p>
<p>Hermione stood there astonished, blaming herself as she processed what just happened.</p>
<p>For years, she waited for Ron to tell her how he really felt about her; she knew he had always loved her, everyone knew. It was selfish of him she thought, to wait until years later to show her how he felt. But now things with Harry were different, she felt things for him that she didn't know she ever would. </p>
<p>She was angry. Angry that Ron put her in this position, angry that Harry had kissed her.</p>
<p>As her eyes raised she looked across at Harry who had now gotten off the ground and suddenly some of that anger went away. </p>
<p>He starts to open his mouth but the words become restricted as he sees a tear roll down her cheek. The last thing he wanted to do was cause her pain. “I just want you to be happy,” he whispered softly. </p>
<p>“I don't know what I want,” she began to stutter but Harry interrupted her.</p>
<p>“Well I do,” he stepped closer to her, “you make me better Hermione. Through all the bloody mess we've been through all these years you're the one who's gotten me through it. “ </p>
<p>Her face broke out into a soft smile although it still looked like she was in pain.</p>
<p>“I never had to be “the chosen one” with you, all I ever had to be was Harry. I don't want to make things harder for you, things are hard enough nowadays, but I want you to know that I love you and I reckon I have for quite some time now.”</p>
<p>There was so much she wanted to say. </p>
<p>Part of her wanted to run over and kiss him, not caring about any of the repercussions afterwards, but then she thought about Ron and how betrayed he felt. She felt the guilt rush in that no matter who she chose, the other one would get hurt. </p>
<p>iv.</p>
<p>A few days later the news about their love triangle was all over the front page of the Daily Prophet. Rita Skeeter got the information from a neighbor of the Weasleys who had heard the whole conversation when she came to drop off a casserole. As usual Skeeter spun the minor details she knew from every angle. </p>
<p>“Ron hasn’t returned my letters in days, I know he sees them. He must reach out soon, right?” she said as her eyes examined the paper. Harry could see this was upsetting her.</p>
<p>“Hermione you know how he is- just give him some time, I'm sure we will hear from him soon.” Harry reassured her although he was seemingly preoccupied stroking his hand through her hair.  </p>
<p>“Focus Harry,” she grinned as she swatted his hand away. She could tell it was distracting him from their conversation but secretly she didn't want him to stop. </p>
<p>Things felt good with him although she hadn't really given him an answer yet.  Things felt lighter than they've felt in a long time she thought. </p>
<p>She leaned over and kissed him right below the jaw.</p>
<p>Harry inhaled. </p>
<p>“Well that was a pleasant surprise, what did I do to deserve that?” Harry raised his eyebrows and began grinning at her. </p>
<p>She rolled her eyes, the smirk he was giving her was causing her stomach to drop. She felt oddly giddy.</p>
<p>“For staying,” she whispered in his ear. </p>
<p>v.</p>
<p>That night the nightmares were worse than ever, Hermione laid there petrified by the fear of closing her eyes knowing she would relive the battle over and over.  She sat up from her bed and stared blankly at the clock that read 3 am. She wanted so badly to feel in control again.</p>
<p>After a few minutes passed by she got up and decided to go wake Harry. She didn't do this because she needed him for her to be okay, she did this because he felt like the only piece of home she had left.</p>
<p>When she cracked open the door, Harry was already lying in bed awake.</p>
<p>A soft smile spread across his face when he saw her.  “Get over here,” he spoke as he patted a spot beside him for her to lie on the bed, he didn't need to ask why she was up, he knew. </p>
<p>They both were going through things that no one else would ever understand.<br/>Sometimes they could escape with brief moments full of smiles and laughter but other times it was unavoidable, and the repercussions of that day weighed on them heavily. </p>
<p>As Hermione crawled into the bed next to him, he began to rub her head and she pulled closer to him and rested her head beside his. This wasn't the first time they had felt like the world was crumbling beneath them, she thought. But this time they were together and for the first time in a while everything felt like it was going to be okay. </p>
<p>Hermione knew then that she had made a choice. </p>
<p>It was Harry. A part of her had always known it was Harry.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Kudos are ♥</p></blockquote></div></div>
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